Tunisian Court Sentences Four to Death in Politician’s Murder Case

A Tunisian court has sentenced four individuals to death and two others to life in prison for their involvement in the murder of left-wing politician Chokri Belaid, according to a public prosecutor.

Belaid, the 48-year-old leader of the Popular Front coalition, was assassinated in February 2013 while sitting in his car outside his home in Tunis. This marked the first political assassination in Tunisia in decades and sparked widespread protests, ultimately leading to the resignation of the then-prime minister.

The case was reopened last month after a former investigating judge was arrested for allegedly concealing critical files. The verdict was announced after lengthy deliberations that highlighted the complexity of the case, as explained by Mohamed Jmour, a member of Belaid’s defense committee.

Prior to his assassination, Belaid was known for his strong criticism of Ennahda, the Islamist party that gained power following the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. After Belaid’s death, his supporters accused Ennahda of being too lenient toward extremist groups.

Following the assassination of another left-wing politician, Mohammed Brahmi, later that same year, Ennahda designated the group Ansar al-Sharia as a terrorist organization. Law enforcement killed several alleged members of the al-Qaeda-linked group suspected of being involved in Belaid’s murder.

Among those sentenced were Mohamed Aouadi, the head of Ansar al-Sharia’s military wing, and Mohamed Khiari, who led its field surveillance and intelligence operations.

The political turmoil resulting from these assassinations contributed to a crisis in Tunisia as the country navigated its transition from dictatorship to democracy.

In total, two dozen defendants faced charges in this extensive case, which took years to investigate and bring to trial. One defendant died in prison, while of the 23 sentenced on Wednesday, five were acquitted. Others received varying sentences, ranging from two years to 120 years in prison.

Deputy prosecutor Aymen Chtiba noted that the dismissals were due to the similarity of sentences already imposed on some defendants in separate cases.

Abdelmajid Belaid, Chokri’s brother, described the verdict as “a positive step,” adding that supporters are still waiting for the trial of those suspected of planning the assassination.